Forms: 4–6 festivite, (5 festyvyte, 6 feastivitie), 7 festivitie, 7– festivity. [a. OF. festivité, ad. L. festīvitāt-em, f. festīvus festive.]
1. † a. Festive quality, condition, or nature; fitness for occasions of rejoicing; mirthfulness, cheerful urbanity; also (of writing, etc.), agreeable elegance.
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Festiuitie, mirth, pleasantnesse.
1622. S. Ward, Life of Faith in Death (1627), 108. Soules, but adorned with white Robes, that is, endowed now, and glorified with perfect righteousnesse, puritie … and festiuitie.
1657. W. Rand, trans. Gassendi’s Life of Peiresc, II. 274. Your most delightful Urbanity and pleasant jesting, has not bin by me answered, and recompensed with like festivity.
1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), II. 517. The Muses may seem not only to have smiled, but to have been tickled at his [Randolph’s] nativity, such the festivity of his poems of all sorts.
1681. H. More, Expos. Dan., 286. The contrivance of the Prophetick Parable is of admirable elegancy and festivity.
b. Rejoicing, mirth, gaiety, such as befits a feast.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 139. In autumn the vintage is a time of general festivity, when the commonalty give themselves up to all manner of licentiousness.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, VI. xxiv.
| On every side the song of mirth, | |
| The music of festivity, | |
| Invite the passing youth. |
1832. G. Downes, Letters from Continental Countries, 240. The old man … was honoured with a sort of triumph, succeeded by general festivity.
1884. Rita, Vivienne, V. iii. There were laughter and mirth and festivity in the air.
2. A festive celebration, an occasion of feasting or rejoicing. In pl. Festive proceedings.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 119. It byfel in a festivite þat … o knyght offred nouȝt.
1436. Political Poems (Rolls), II. 197.
| That sumtyme at his grete festivité | |
| Kynges and yerles of many a contré, | |
| And provinces fele, were there presente. |
1579. Fulke, Refut. Rastel, 798. That our feastiuitie may bee made in remembraunce of the reste, which is vnto the soules of them that are departed.
1624. Gataker, A Discussion of the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation, 94. In his Easter-day Sermon turning his speech to the Festiuity it selfe, and then from it to Christ himselfe.
1678. South, Serm. II. x. 356. There happening a great, and solemn Festivity, such as the Sheep-shearings used to be in those Eastern Countries, he [David] condescends, by an honourable and kind Message, to beg of a rich and great Man, some small repast and Supply for himself and his poor harassed Companions.
1679. Burnet, Hist. Ref., III. 244 The King also ordered his Name to be struck out of the Kalendar, and the office for his [Hecket’s] Festivity to be dasht out of all Breviaries.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., ii. Tupman again expressed an earnest wish to be present at the festivity.
1848. Lytton, Harold, VI. i. Several persons bustling into London to share in the festivities of the day.
1861. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 45. The Great Hall, serving for a council-chamber on days of general convocation, and as a banqueting-room for the oft-recurring festivities.
